


Shake It

by ClassyFangirl



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Bigender Character, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Genderqueer Character, Multi, Other, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-17
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 19:27:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1047697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClassyFangirl/pseuds/ClassyFangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Drift, Newt and Hermann realize there really was no reason to be hiding their gender identities from each other this whole time. Everything ends happily after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shake It

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SebastianM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SebastianM/gifts).



> I've been plotting this for a while, and it is a gift for a dear, darling friend. As a cis woman, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not hesitate to call me out on any bullshit here. I will gladly take all criticism and fix it.

When it’s all over and their brains are still half connected, Newt drops into a seat next to Hermann and says, “So we _totally_ could’ve been open about this the whole time.”

Hermann looks startled at first, but then he- it’s a man day, Newt can tell, and ze wonders if ze’ll be able to tell all the time, if the Drift’s effects will last that long -he smiles, slightly. “Yes, I suppose. Or, well, perhaps not. No one knows about...me. Besides you, now.”

Newt huffs out a tired laugh and swings an arm around Hermann’s shoulders again, like before. Ze likes how Hermann feels, pressed up close like this. “So- guess we might as well talk about it. Isn’t it _weird_ that we yell at each other all the time but never _talk_ about shit?”

“We talk about plenty of things-”

“Yeah, but.” Newt shrugs and taps zir fingers against Hermann’s shoulder. “Ten years- we’ve known each other for _ten years_ and this never came up. All right, here, I’ll start.” Ze moves zir arm from Hermann’s shoulder and sticks out a hand. “Newt Geiszler, genderqueer, ze/zir pronouns. And you?”

Hermann’s smile gets a little wider and he accepts Newt’s hand. “Hermann Gottlieb, he today- ah, bigender.” The word falls out of his mouth like he’s been waiting _years_ to say it out loud. “It...varies from day to day. Man today, w-woman tomorrow. I never know until I wake up.”

“All right. Do you have another name?” At Hermann’s furrowed brow, Newt says, “Y’know, for when you’re a woman?”

“Oh.” Hermann frowns and considers the question. “I...I never really let myself...I’ll think about it.”

“Cool. One more question-” Newt leans in close and rests zir chin against Hermann’s shoulder. “Hermann Gottlieb, do you wanna be my datefriend?”

Hermann grins- he looks so _handsome_ when he grins, it’s obscene -and says, “I’d like that quite a lot. Newt.”

 

ooo

 

Newt wakes up in an empty bed, but ze can feel Hermann in the room- a distinctly _she_ presence. Newt wonders if she’s picked a girl name yet. Ze sits up and watches Hermann hook a pale gray bra around her back with practiced ease. “Got any more clothes?” ze asks, and ze smiles at Hermann’s surprised look.

“Oh- you mean, ah, like this? N-no. Only the, erm, underthings. I’ve never...” She trails off and touches her bra idly.

“Aw man.” Newt swings zir legs out of the bed and stands. “We should go shopping.”

“Shopping,” Hermann repeats dryly.

“Shopping! Get you some real nice clothes, it’ll be awesome-”

“Newt.” Hermann shakes her head. “As- as nice as that sounds, I don’t feel that now is the time. There’s still quite a lot of work to be done.”

Newt frowns, but sighs. She’s right. “Fine. But one of these days, okay?”

“Very well.”

“Oh- you think of another name?”

“Erm.” She flushes slightly, which is _adorable_ , Newt is so mad that she looks this adorable right after rolling out of bed. “I- I think Hermine is nice. Nothing...drastic. Just Hermine.”

“Got it.” Newt crosses over to Hermine and plants a kiss on her cheek. “Hermine. It’s nice.”

 

ooo

 

They’re on a media tour barely a month later, and on a cold day in New York, Hermine says, “I’d quite like to make that shopping trip,” and Newt just about breaks zir own face from smiling so hard.

They don’t want a lot of paparazzi attention, so going clothes-shopping in Manhattan will have to wait. Instead, they drive out of the city and find a department store in a quiet town not too far away.

Hermine demands they find Newt some new clothes first, since none of zirs really fit anymore. They find some bright blue tights that Hermine declares “garish” and Newt _loves_ , and a few tight-fitting shirts, some with checks, some with flowers. Then Newt says they _have_ to find Hermine some things, and she hesitantly agrees.

Her taste in clothing isn’t all that different from her male interests- wool leggings, black skirts, plain blouses -but hey, as long as she’s happy, Newt’s happy too. She finds a soft, dark red sweater that she touches silently for a full five minutes before Newt says, “Well, do you _want_ it?”

“I...yes.” There’s a hint of color to her cheeks. “I was just thinking that...we’re going to be on television tonight, and I’ll be in my...old clothes, but I’ll be thinking of _these_ the whole time.”

Newt frowns, because ze was _totally_ planning on wearing the floral shirt tonight, but ze can see her point. Coming out all at once is not the Hermine Gottlieb way. “You could just wear the sweater,” ze says. “Nobody would know. Except for me and you.”

Hermine nods silently. Newt takes her hand and grins until ze gets a smile in return.

Newt makes a quick stop in the cosmetics section and manages to slip in a few things that Hermine doesn’t notice. That can wait until after the interview.

 

ooo

 

“Lipstick?” Hermine asks, frowning. “You bought _lipstick_?”

Newt shrugs. “Well, yeah. I dunno, I thought maybe you’d wanna try it, and if you don’t like it, hey, I’m never one to say no to a little make-up.”

“Lipstick,” Hermine repeats. She sounds bitter, and Newt worries ze’s come across some internalized issues, but then- no, it’s not that. Doctor H. Gottlieb, no matter what gender, cannot _stand_ anything remotely flashy.

Newt just laughs and holds out a tube of bright red lipstick. “Well? You wanna try or not?”

She flushes slightly. “I- I don’t know how.”

“That’s okay. Here, I’ll do it for you.”

Newt pulls up a chair next to where Hermine is perched on the edge of the bed. Ze uncaps the lipstick and twists it up. Ze smiles at Hermine’s fascination. “All right, open your mouth. Not _that_ much,” ze laughs. “Just a little, okay? Like this.” Ze parts zir lips just a bit and grins as Hermine imitates it perfectly. “Awesome. Okay, so...”

Ze carefully glides the lipstick over Hermine’s lower lip. It’s surprisingly easier to put it on someone else. “Okay, now press your lips together.”

“You didn’t do the top one-”

“I _know_ , that’s- just do it, okay, Jesus, who’s the make-up person here, hm?”

Hermine rolls her eyes and then presses her lips together. Perfect- her lips are a _delicious_ bright red. God, she’s so pretty that Newt just wants to sit here for hours and dress her up. But ze would _also_ like to experiment a little more.

“Okay, you look in the mirror while I put my eyeliner on, and then-” Newt grins at Hermine’s raised eyebrows. “Then you are gonna kiss me _everywhere_ , holy shit.”

Afterwards, Newt can’t remember the last time ze had better sex than that. It’s possible ze never has.

 

ooo

 

Years after the Breach is closed, Newt wakes up and yawns. Hermann is downstairs cooking breakfast- the smell of bacon is _intoxicating_. Newt steals a pair of Hermine’s panties and slides them on, and then some pajama pants to hide them, even though Hermann will _totally_ know anyway. That’s half the fun.

“Good morning,” Hermann says. “Have a good sleep?”

“Hm.” Newt wraps zir arms around Hermann’s middle and nuzzles the crook of his neck. “Why aren’t we married yet?”

“I’ve no idea,” Hermann says. It’s a common conversation topic. “What would you tell your family? That you have a husband or a wife?”

“Both,” ze says, kissing Hermann’s shoulder. “I get to have _both_ \- how lucky am I?”

“And _I_ get a Newt Geiszler,” Hermann says. He puts the bacon on a plate, turns the stove off, and turns around so he can kiss Newt’s forehead. “I think I’m luckier.”


End file.
